Washing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MOSES D. NVELLS, OF MORGANTOIVN, VIRGINIA.

WASHING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,215, datedNovember 22, 1859.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mosns D. IVELLS, of Morgantown, in the county ofMonongalia and State of Virginia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Vashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of thesam'e,.reference being had to the annexed drawing, forming part of thisspeciication, in the several figures of which similar characters ofreference denote the same part.

Figure l is a plan view of my washing machine. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal sect-ion on line 1 y. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line fr,x, showing the position of the rack in block.

The nature of the invention consists in having a ribbed, reciprocatingplunger, moving' upon guides, and attached by a pitman to a pendulumrod, and weight dependent from a shaft above, by the rocking of whichthe reciprocating movement of the plunger is produced.

In the front of the machine is a reciproeating rack, fitting intoopenings in a block; the ends of this rack extend on each side of theplunger, and rest on guides at the sides of the machine, and have ontheir rear extremities a shoulder or projection against which theplunger strikes during its backward movement, and moves the rack out ofthe openings in the block. And there are two springs on either side ofthe box, which act on these rear ends of the rack, and force it back inits former position again, thus giving it a reciprocating motion. Thereis also a false bottom to the machine with openings to allow the waterto flow under, and pass up behind the clothes. And there is anotherspring attached to the shaft which strikes against the box, and aids themotion of the plunger.

In the drawing, P represents the plunger, moving on guides g, andconnected by pitman p, with the pendulum rod R, which depends from shaftS, the shaft being moved by handle H.

a, is the spring on shaft S.

D, is the rack, fitting in the openings in block B, moving on guides g,and `having projections b, on its rear ends against which the plungerstrikes, and on which the springs d, d, act, giving it, itsreciprocating motion,

and F, is the false bottom having openings 0, through which the wateriows.

The clothes are placed in the box between the plunger P, and rack D, andby the rocking of shaft S, the plunger is moved forward pressing theclothes against the block, and by the next movement of the shaft theplunger is drawn back, and comes in contact with the projections Z), onthe rear ends of the rack D, forcing it out of the block B, and by itturning the clothes completely over. The distance which the plungermoves before it comes in contact with the projections on the ends of therack, allows the clothes to be released from all pressure of it, beforethey are turned over by the rack, and also gives them room to turn clearof the plunger. The springs d, d, then act on these projections andforce the rack into place again when t-he plunger again strikes theclothes; thus Aconstantly turning theln over, and pressing' them againstblock B, and ett'ectually removing all dirt from them.

The pitman p, is attached to the pendulum rod R, by a pin throughdiii'erent holes in each, so that it can be adapted to any quantity ofclothes,land'also t'o give the pendulum a different distance ofmovement.

The spring ct, attached to the shaft S, assists in giving reaction tothe movement of the plunger. And the false bottom F, allows the water toflow under it, through its openings 0, and to rise again behind thelclothes as the rack D, throws them forward, and is advantageous aswithout it there would not water enough remain between the clothes, andthe surface against which they work, namely the block B.

I do not claim the reciprocating plunger of itself, nor do I claim therack D, but

Ihat I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The reciprocating plunger operated as described in combination with therack piece D moved by the plunger' in its backward motion, and springs d0l throwing said rack in place, the whole operated as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before twosubscribing witnesses.

M. D. WELLS.

Vitnesses:

E. P. FITCH, IV. GRIFFITH.

